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E Class 2-4-2T
The E class were originally introduced to haul Melbourne's suburban
trains from 1890, and were built by Phoenix at Ballarat and Munro
and Co in Melbourne. With electrification of the suburban network in
the 1920s, they were relegated to shunting duties, apart from 20
which were sold to the SAR (classified there as the M class). They
underwent extensive design modifications as their usage patterns
changed: E236 is shown here as a 2-4-2T, while the other surving
examples are both 0-6-0Ts. There are three surviving examples: 506
(now numbered as 236), 369 (both at ARHS Museum), and 371 (Newport
shunter, now at Victorian Goldfields Railway).
E236
E371
E371 was the Newport shunter, and as such had a hard life. It
is now preserved at Maldon, if preserved is the right word, sans
boiler cladding, sans coupling rods, sans number: in fact
without a good number of working or otherwise parts. I am
informed that the boiler is well and truly past restoration: if
this loco is to steam again, it will need a fair amount of money
spent on it.
(from the Australian
Steam web page) E371 was rebuilt to 0-6-2T from its
original configuration as a 2-4-2T. E371 survived as a shunter
at Newport workshops into the 1970's before finding a home on
the VGR. The loco was partially dismantled at Maldon for
assessment in 1992 but the report was apparently not favourable
and E371 was reassembled (sans boiler cladding, most fittings
and numberplates) and placed on display at Maldon station.
